1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a hand-pushed snow removing vehicle of small size.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, snow plowing tools and machines have been known from, for example, Japanese Utility Model Post-Exam Publication No. SHO-57-41075 and No. SHO-50-30171.
Japanese Utility Model Post-Exam Publication No. SHO-5741075 discloses a hand-pushed snow plowing tool simply designed such that an operator hand-pushes the tool with his hands holding operational handles.
In Japanese Utility Model Post-Exam Publication No. SHO-50-30171, there is disclosed a powered snow plowing machine which is self-propelled by a motive power source so as to reduce a burden of the operator.
The hand-pushed snow plowing tool includes a frame body, a snow-plowing blade provided at a front part of the frame body, and two wheels provided rightwardly and leftwardly of the frame body. The tool includes right and left operational handles extending obliquely and backwardly from a rear part of the frame body. Each operational handle has a grip at an end portion thereof.
The powered snow plowing machine includes a towing cart, a snow-plowing blade provided at a front part of the cart, two wheels provided rightwardly and leftwardly of the cart, and right and left operated handles extending backwardly from a rear part of the cart. The machine has an engine as a motive power source. Such an engine is operated to drive the wheels.
The tool is simple in construction and can thus be produced at a low cost. The machine is self-propelled by the operation of the engine to thereby reduce a burden of the operator.
However, each of the hand-pushed snow plowing tool and the powered snow plowing machine has two wheels provided rightwardly and leftwardly thereof in spaced relation to each other. As a result, the tool and the machine inevitably require large turning radiuses and can harldy make sharp turns. Consequently, both the tool and the machine provide poor mobility and operability.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-operate snow removing vehicle designed to reduce a burden of the operator and being capable of making a sharp turn when operated in a narrow workplace.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand-pushed snow removing vehicle comprising: a snow removing member provided at a front part of the vehicle so as to push snow; driving wheels provided in a widthwise central portion of the vehicle; a drive source provided in the vehicle so as to drive the driving wheels; right and left operational handles provided at a rear part of the vehicle in such a manner as to extend backwardly of the vehicle; and right and left grips provided at end parts of the right and left operational handles, respectively.
The vehicle of the present invention includes the driving wheels provided in the widthwise central portion thereof. Thus, the vehicle can make a sharp turn and provide improved mobility. Consequently, it becomes possible to facilitate removal of snow in a narrow workplace. Moreover, the driving wheels are driven by the drive source to thereby reduce a burden of operating the vehicle on the operator.
Preferably, the snow removing member has a width set not to exceed a distance between the right and left grips. Thus, the vehicle can be easily turned during a snow removing operation.
In a preferred form of the invention, the snow removing member is arc-shaped in vertical cross-section and disposed such that a chord of the arc lies substantially perpendicularly to a ground when a lower end portion of the snow removing member is set on the ground. With the thus-arranged snow removing member, removed snow moves along the arc having a small radius of curvature, whereby the removed snow does not reach the top of the snow removing member. Thus, a pushing force required to remove snow can be made small to thereby reduce a burden on the operator and the drive source. The chord is substantially perpendicular to the ground, and thereby the snow removing member can be easily attached to or detached from the front part of the vehicle.
In a further preferred form of the invention, the snow removing member includes an obliquely upwardly extending bottom sheet serving as a reinforcing rib, the bottom sheet being formed by bending the lower end portion backwardly. As a result, the snow removing member provides improved rigidity. Consequently, there is no need for providing a separate reinforcing member for serving as a reinforcing rib for the snow removing member. The bottom sheet, formed by bending the lower end portion backwardly, extends obliquely and upwardly. It is therefore unlikely that foreign materials get caught between the bottom sheet and the ground during the removal of snow.
Preferably, the hand-pushed snow removing vehicle is a single-wheeled electric vehicle having a single one of the driving wheel and an electric motor as the drive source. With only one drive wheel, it becomes possible to facilitate turning of the snow removing vehicle during a snow removing operation. That is, the vehicle can make a sharp turn and hence provide improved mobility. The electric motor used as the drive source produces a small sound when actuated and emits no exhaust gas. Thus, in an area in which residences are closely built, the removal of snow can be assumed even in early mornings or late at night without causing inconveniences to people living there.
Preferably, the vehicle further includes batteries for supplying an electric power to the electric motor. The batteries may be disposed between the snow removing member and an axle supporting the driving wheel. The front part of the vehicle becomes heavier to thereby press the driving wheel against the ground. Thus, the driving wheel is prevented from skidding on the ground, thereby enabling the vehicle to propel. With this arrangement, the operational handles for hand-pushing can be lifted up with a small force to thereby provide the vehicle with improved operability.
In a still preferred form of the invention, the right or left grip is a slidable grip which slides in correspondemce with a hand-pushing force produced by a hand. The vehicle further includes a detector, disposed proximately to the slidable grip, for detecting an amount of movement of the slidable grip to thereby control the electric motor. The operator can propel the vehicle by grasping and then pushing the grips with his hands. When the grip slides, the amount of movement of the grip is detected by the detector, whereupon the detector outputs a signal. Thereafter, the motor generates an assisting motive power in correspondence with the signal output from the detector, thereby assisting the operator in operating the vehicle. As explained above, the operator can propel the snow removing vehicle by grasping and then pushing the grips with his hands. Otherwise, the operator can propel the vehicle with the aid of the assisting motive power from the motor. For this reason, a further operation for adjusting the assisting motive power is not required.
Preferably, the right or left operational handle includes an operation-assist mechanism mounted thereon. The mechanism is designed such that it forcibly pushes the slidable grip towards the vehicle when an assist operation including grasping with a hand held onto the slidable grip is performed. By thus performing an assist operation with the hand held onto the grip, the grip is forcibly pushed towards the vehicle. The electric motor is actuated in correspondence with an amount of movement of the grip thus pushed, thereby assisting the operator in operating the vehicle. Therefore, since the operator can slide the grip without pushing the grip, he can easily obtain the assisting motive power during the removal of snow.
In a still further preferred form of the invention, the vehicle further includes stands at the rear part thereof. The vehicle is operated with the right and left operational handles lifted up such that the stands are lifted upwardly off the ground. The vehicle still further includes a control lever disposed in the proximity of the right or left grip, the control lever being operated with fingers or a thumb to control a voltage supplied to the electric motor. The control lever has improved operability, because the control lever can be operated with the fingers or thumb of the hand grasping the grip. Operation of the control lever causes the motor to be actuated to thereby drive the driving wheel.
In a still further preferred form of the invention, the vehicle further includes at an upper portion thereof a container for heaping up snow. By virtue of the container provided at the upper portion of the vehicle, the operator can heap snow on the container and then carry the snow to a desired place so as to dump the snow out of the container.